Shoe polish package



y 4, 1967 R. SERRITELLA 3,3 ,8

SHOE POLI SH PACKAGE Filed Oct. 6, 1964 /NVEA ro/e Baberi .jerrzielld dig/s United States Patent 3,328,828 SHOE POLISH PACKAGE Robert Serritella, 4349 N. Long Ave., Chicago, Ill. 60641 Filed Oct. 6, 1964, Ser. No. 401,807 4 Claims. (Cl. 15517) This invention is directed to a paste wax applicator in combination with a container therefor.

Customarily paste wax is stored in a solid, relatively hard plastic state in a wide-mouthed container to which a tight fitting closure may be secured. Generally, the wax is applied to any desired surface with a moistened applicator such as a sponge, a piece of fabric, or a small brush. After wax is removed from the container by rubbing the wax in the container with the applicator, rubbing the applicator on the surface to be waxed transfers the wax on the applicator to said surface.

When not in use, the applicator is either stored inside or outside of the wax container or disposed of after each use.

An applicator, such as a small sponge or piece of cloth may be stored in the container between uses. As such, it will remain moist and ready for use for long periods of time. However, an applicator stored within the container generally becomes covered with wax which, when the applicator is used, by being held between the fingers of the applier, often is transferred to his fingers. This is particularly unpleasant when the wax being applied is any one of a number commonly referred to as shoe polish. Such waxes often contain dyes which will discolor the fingers and are not easily removed.

On the other hand, an applicator that is not stored in the wax container will often dry out after each use and make necessary its moistening before use again. Not limited in size by the interior dimension of the container, the applicator may be equipped with a handle or other member eliminating the necessity for the appliers fingers to come in contact with the wax on the applicator. Although eliminating the nuisance of the appliers fingers coming in direct contact with the wax on the applicator, an applicator stored outside of the wax container must be segregated from other articles as to eliminate the possibility of an undesired and unintentional transference of the wax thereon to such articles. This is particularly true of shoe polish for the accidental touching of a shoe polish applicator to a fabric or porous surface could result in a permanent, unsightly discoloration.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved package embodying the combination of a wax container and applicator which forms a part of the container and is secured in position to make use of the portion of the container removed for exposure of the wax content material for removal of wax from the container and application thereof onto the surface to be coated or treated.

Specifically, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved applicator means fixed to an interior portion of a paste wax container in position to be used for removal of wax and application thereof without the necessity for handling the applicator or adjustment in the position thereof.

More specifically, it is the object of this invention to provide an applicator means firmly secured to the underside of the closure of a paste wax container in position to reach throughout the interior of the container for access to the wax composition housed therein and which makes use of the closure as a handle for the applicator for removal of wax on the applicator for rubbing onto the surfaces to be treated without the necessity for touching the wax or applicator.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention will hereinafter appear and for purposes of illustraice tion, but not of limitation, an embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a paste wax container in combination with an applicator means fixed to the closure element thereof;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional elevational view of the paste wax container shown in FIG. 1 with the closure element in position of use to seal the container, the view taken along the diameter of the container that bisects the applicator member;

FIG. 3 is a perspective View of the container and closure in combination with the applicator means illustrating the relative position of each when removing wax from the container; and

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of the container and the closure as they appear in FIG. 3.

Briefly described, the paste wax applicator in combination with the paste Wax container of this invention embodies a relatively firm absorbent member such as a brush, a stiff sponge or block of felt securely mounted to the underside of the closure of a wide-mouthed container. The applicator member is offset from the center of the closure and preferably secured in close proximity to an outside edge of the closure with sufiicient clearance between the applicator and the outside edge of the closure to permit a secure closing of the container.

More particularly, with specific reference to the drawing, the combination of this invention is shown in FIG. 1 wherein the closure 1 of the container 2 has firmly secured to the underside thereof a firm absorbent applicator element 3 radially positioned in close proximity to an outside edge of the closure. The preferred container 2. comprises a fiat base portion 6 of any of a number of geometric plan forms including, without limitation, cir cular, elliptical and rectangular shapes and upwardly extending side walls 7. The preferred closure as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises a relatively flat top portion 4 of a plan form coincident with that of the container 2 and downwardly extending side walls or skirts 5 and is adapted to be received in fitted relationship about the side walls of the container to provide a tight seal for the interior thereof.

The content material 10, such as shoe polish, wax compositions or other material of wax or jelly-like consistency, is adapted to fill the container except for a void or cavity portion 9 which is dimensioned in cross-section to correspond with the cross-section of the applicator and which is dimensioned to have a depth at least as great as if not slightly greater than the distance that the applicator extends into the container when the closure is in position of use to seal the container and the void or cavity 9 is located in the portion of the container corresponding to the portion of the applicator on the closure so that when the closure is fitted on the container the applicator will be received in the void or cavity. In the preferred practice, the cavity or void is dimensioned to extend from the top to the bottom of the container and the cross-section of the void is adapted to be slightly larger than that of the applicator so that the applicator can be received in the void without contacting the shoe polish or wax content material filling the container.

The applicator may he formed of any moisture absorbent material such as a brush, sponge, leather or felt block having, in turn, a soft outer surface that, when in contact with the surfaces to be waxed, will not mar or scratch them.

The applicator 3 is to be firmly secured to the inner surface 4 of the closure 7 with sufficient clearance between the applicator and the side 5 of the closure to permit, as shown in FIG. 2, the edge 7 of the container 2 to fit in telescoping relationship therebetween.

Use of this invention is effected by removing the closure element from the container and holding it in one hand, rubbing the applicator member secured therein against the hard wax within the container transferring to it wax which may consequently be transferred to the in the side of the closure, it would be impossible for the applicator element to contact the entire inner surface of the container. Utilizing the cutouts as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the center of the closure is offset from the center of the container, the sides 7 of the container intersecting the sides 5 of the closure and the applicator placed within reach of all the wax within the container.

It is intended that the container and closure be formed of any inexpensive moisture-proof material such as metal or plastic, the bottommost edge of the sides 5 of the closure being provided with a band of the same or other suitable material to prevent the extreme edges of the side from scratching the surface being waxed.

It will be appreciated that a number of alterations and changes may be made in the details of construction of this invention, such as including the installation of a handle portion on the closure element to facilitate the application of the wax without departing from the spirit of this invention, especially as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A paste dispenser comprising a hollow enclosure consisting of a container and a closure element of rigid construction, each having a fiat surface and curvilinear sides and adapted to be received in fitting relationship to seal the enclosure, a stiff absorbent applicator fixed to the bottom side of the top wall of the closure and dimensioned to almost reach the base of the container element when the closure is fitted thereon and radially displaced within the closure element proximate to although terminating short of the curvilinear side of the closure as to permit the curvilinear side of the container element to be telescopically received, paste wax within the container element having a cutout portion dimensioned to receive the applicator member when the closure is fitted On the container and in which portions of the ides of the closure on opposite sides of the applicator are cut out from the outer edge toward the fiat surface to enable projection of the sides of the container thereinto for deeper penetration of the applicator into the container for removal of paste wax therefrom.

2. A paste dispenser comprising a container having a flat bottom wall and side walls extending upwardly from the outer edges of the bottom wall and a closure having a fiat top wall and sides extending downwardly from the outer edges of the top wall and dimensioned to telescope with the side walls of the container when in sealing relation to close the container, a stiff applicator member fixed to the bottom side of the top wall of the closure and offset from the center thereof and in which the applicator is dimensioned to have a length to extend to adjacent the top side of the bottom wall when the closure is fitted on the container in sealing relation, a paste material Within the container having a hollow portion dimensioned to receive the applicator when the closure is fitted onto the container and in which the side walls of the closure are for-med with recessed portions extending from the bottom edge upwardly toward the top wall and on opposite sides of the applicator to permit the side walls of the container to project onto said recessed portions for deeper penetration of the applicator into the container for engagement with the paste container therein.

3. A dispenser as claimed in claim 2 in which the applicator is dimensioned to have a length greater than the length of the side Walls of the closure to extend downwardly beyond the lower edge of the closure side walls.

4. A dispenser as claimed in claim 2 in which the applicator is a fabric block.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,524,202 1/1925 Nottingham 155 l7 3,000,035 9/ 1961 Harris et a1. 15258 FOREIGN PATENTS 179,289 9/ 1917 Canada.

CHARLES A. WILLMUTH, Primary Examiner.

S. E. BECK, E. L. ROBERTS Assistant Examiners. 

1. A PASTE DISPENSER COMPRISING A HOLLOW ENCLOSURE CONSISTING OF A CONTAINER AND A CLOSURE ELEMENT OF RIGID CONSTRUCTION, EACH HAVING A FLAT SURFACE AND CURVILINEAR SIDES AND ADAPTED TO BE RECEIVED IN FITTING RELATIONSHIP TO SEAL THE ENCLOSURE, A STIFF ABSORBENT APPLICATOR FIXED TO THE BOTTOM SIDE OF THE TOP WALL OF THE CLOSURE AND DIMENSIONED TO ALMOST REACH THE BASE OF THE CONTAINER ELEMENT WHEN THE CLOSURE IS FITTED THEREON AND RADIALLY DISPLACED WITHIN THE CLOSURE ELEMENT PROXIMATE TO ALTHOUGH TERMINATING SHORT OF THE CURVILINEAR SIDE OF THE CLOSURE AS TO PERMIT THE CURVILINEAR SIDE OF THE CONTAINER ELEMENT TO BE TELESCOPICALLY RECEIVED, PASTE WAX WITHIN THE CONTAINER ELEMENT HAVING A CUTOUT PORTION DIMENSIONED TO RECEIVE THE APPLICATOR MEMBER WHEN THE CLOSURE IS FITTED ON THE CONTAINER AND IN WHICH PORTIONS OF THE SIDES OF THE CLOSURE ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE APPLICATOR ARE CUT OUT FROM THE OUTER EDGE TOWEARD THE FLAT SURFACE TO ENABLE PROJECTION OF THE SIDES OF THE CONTAINER THEREINTO FOR DEEPER PENETRATION OF THE APPLICATOR INTO THE CONTAINER FOR REMOVAL OF PASTE WAX THEREFROM. 